• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
      Do you know your emotional intelligence?
      Addressing racism in the workplace
      Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
      Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Addressing racism in the workplace
        Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
        Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
    • Editor’s Picks
      • The future is here
        A winding road
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        “Hold my beer”
    • On the Job
      • A winding road
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        I brought home a dog
        Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
        Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
    • Labor
      • Building positive media relations
        LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
        Racing with a purpose
        Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
        Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
    • Tech
      • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
        Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
        The future is here
        How local police departments can combat cybercrime
        Your website is your front desk
    • Training
      • Using critical thinking to crack the case
        Navigating cultural and language barriers
        Why you should pocket carry
        The future is here
        Training for tomorrow
    • Policy
      • Consolidation in action
        California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
        Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
        California makes police misconduct records publicly available
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
    • Health/Wellness
      • The warm path and the hot path
        Understanding chronic pain and depression
        Suicide and first responder retirement
        A golden key to suicide prevention
        The urgency to protect those who protect us
    • Community
      • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
        Turning over a new leaf
        Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
        An unexpected reunion
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
        Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        Team Romeo
        National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • A winding road
      Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
      I brought home a dog
      Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
      Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
  • Labor
    • Building positive media relations
      LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
      Racing with a purpose
      Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
      Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
  • Tech
    • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
      Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
      The future is here
      How local police departments can combat cybercrime
      Your website is your front desk
  • Training
    • Using critical thinking to crack the case
      Navigating cultural and language barriers
      Why you should pocket carry
      The future is here
      Training for tomorrow
  • Policy
    • Consolidation in action
      California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
      Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
      California makes police misconduct records publicly available
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
  • Health/Wellness
    • The warm path and the hot path
      Understanding chronic pain and depression
      Suicide and first responder retirement
      A golden key to suicide prevention
      The urgency to protect those who protect us
  • Community
    • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
      Turning over a new leaf
      Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
      An unexpected reunion
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
      Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      Team Romeo
      National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Partners in the News

Officer suicide linked to trauma on the job

Sara Slone Published December 21, 2022 @ 6:00 am PST

C.O.P.S.

Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) has more than doubled in membership in the past 10 years. The average used to be between 140–160 officers die in the line of duty each year, however, COVID, deaths from 9/11 cancer and increased violence have made that average inaccurate. Our membership has now reached over 65,000 survivors nationwide. With the recent passing of the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022, the number of survivors served grows even more rapidly.

On August 16, President Biden signed Public Law 117-172, the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022. The unanimous passing of this law recognizes that the traumas suffered by law enforcement officers affects them mentally and at times ends with suicide. This law now provides public safety officer death benefits for the families of law enforcement who die by suicide or are totally disabled, after taking an action to bring about their death while on duty, and if it meets the criteria established within the law and occurred on or after January 1, 2019.

The purpose of the C.O.P.S. organization has always been, and continues to be, to support surviving family members and co-workers of law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty. As we receive more information from the PSOB office on how this law is interpreted for federal benefits, C.O.P.S. will begin educating law enforcement agencies and our 55 chapters across the nation on how to respond and best serve surviving family members and co-workers affected by suicide.

The passing of the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 recognizes that the traumas suffered by law enforcement officers affects them mentally and at times ends with suicide.

A common phrase we say is “Grief is grief.” However, grief can be very different when the circumstances of the death are very different. Whether the death is felonious or accidental, natural (COVID/heart attack) or suicide, each officer leaves behind survivors who loved and cared for them, and they need our support. It is better late than never to now be able to serve all survivors through the amazing programs and services that C.O.P.S. has provided for almost 40 years.

“C.O.P.S. and Survivors of Blue Suicide (SBS) are working together to ensure all survivors who have lost an officer receive support for their grief,” C.O.P.S. Executive Director Dianne Bernhard said. “There is no deadline for grief to pass and we appreciate our partners helping us provide support for as long as survivors need us.”

SBS Executive Director Shelley Jones will now work with C.O.P.S. through this transition. Education and outreach will be key, as the first interactions after the death can impact survivors for the rest of their lives.

If you should have questions regarding line-of-duty death response and how this law impacts the operation of C.O.P.S. moving forward, please visit concernsofpolicesurvivors.org. Dates and locations for programs for all survivors in 2023 will be announced soon.

Sara Slone

Sara Slone

Sara Slone is the outreach director for Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.).

View articles by Sara Slone

Categories: Partners in the News

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and emergency alerts
  • The warm path and the hot path
  • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces 2025 Ambassador Impact Award Winner
  • Understanding chronic pain and depression
  • Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and recruit
  • Suicide and first responder retirement
  • Consolidation in action
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund launches 2025 Bid for the Badge online auction
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund announces “Restoring the Ranks” conference on recruitment and retention

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The future is here

The future is here

August 21, 2025

A winding road

A winding road

August 20, 2025

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

August 17, 2025

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

August 11, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.